Chambers Attire Forum

[Anonymous User]

I'm wondering what the typical dress code is in chambers. When I interviewed, the clerks were wearing suit + tie, but I'm not sure if that was just for interviews. In particular wondering about COA (if there's any distinction based on necessity of being in court). Any experiences from clerkships or internships/externships?

[ph14]

I'm wondering what the typical dress code is in chambers. When I interviewed, the clerks were wearing suit + tie, but I'm not sure if that was just for interviews. In particular wondering about COA (if there's any distinction based on necessity of being in court). Any experiences from clerkships or internships/externships?

Did you visit during a week where the COA judges are sitting for oral argument? If so, that may be why they are dressed up, though some judges do require full suits and tie on business days. A lot of the chambers that I know of follow a business casual dress code on non-sitting weeks and then business attire when judges sit for oral argument, which might be one week every couple of months.

[Anonymous User]

I'm wondering what the typical dress code is in chambers. When I interviewed, the clerks were wearing suit + tie, but I'm not sure if that was just for interviews. In particular wondering about COA (if there's any distinction based on necessity of being in court). Any experiences from clerkships or internships/externships?

Did you visit during a week where the COA judges are sitting for oral argument? If so, that may be why they are dressed up, though some judges do require full suits and tie on business days. A lot of the chambers that I know of follow a business casual dress code on non-sitting weeks and then business attire when judges sit for oral argument, which might be one week every couple of months.

This. We do business casual, unless it's a sitting day (business formal is appropriate then). If the judge is out and it's a Friday, we go full casual. After all, you're in chambers 8.5 out of 9 hours a day, so . . . who's going to see you? (Still chambers-appropriate casual -- jeans and a polo or jeans and a button-down. I just really like jeans.)

EDIT: I'm a COA clerk (mentioning sitting days might've been a tip off, but just in case). Obviously, if you're working for a DJ, you'll be seeing the courtroom a little more often.

[bk1]

Ask your judge.

[Anonymous User]

Totally different for different judges, at least on the COA. Some judges don't have any dress code and you can wear sneakers/jeans/whatever. Others require full business dress every day.

[gaud]

Ask your judge.

Yup. I know judges who wear suits every day and judges who wear Hawaiian shirts. It really just depends.

[Anonymous User]

Ask your judge.

Yup. I know judges who wear suits every day and judges who wear Hawaiian shirts. It really just depends.

This. I know of a judge that wears sweat pants or jeans and t shirts on any day he doesn't need to see the parties or going into the courtroom. He was completely fine with his clerks doing that too.

I think the answer in general will be full suit and tie on days where you'll physically be in the court room or interacting with the parties in person. If you're in chambers all day, it can range from business casual to whatever you want. But from my experience externing and clerking, the judges expected business casual. My judge allows for more flexibility in the god awfully hot summer.

[insideman]

Totally depends on chambers. I have noticed that the COA clerks are more casual, mostly because they spend less time in court. Some judges only require suits if you're in court, others expect business attire regardless. I've seen some relaxed chambers where people are in jeans. Like most clerkship-related questions, things are so chambers-specific that its hard to give general answers.

[Anonymous User]

Clerk in a district court. Our chambers is shirt and tie every day (or equivalent for women), with the expectation that you will keep a coat around if you need to go into court. Standards are somewhat more relaxed if the judge isn't there, and you can wear whatever you want if you're coming in after hours or on a weekend. We are on the formal end relative to other chambers in the building, though.

[Anonymous User]

Clerk in a district court. Our chambers is shirt and tie every day (or equivalent for women), with the expectation that you will keep a coat around if you need to go into court. Standards are somewhat more relaxed if the judge isn't there, and you can wear whatever you want if you're coming in after hours or on a weekend. We are on the formal end relative to other chambers in the building, though.

Anon above, should have added that. I think it's a very common practice to have an emergency suit (or at least a blazer) laying around chambers for the unexpected interaction with the parties. I would advise anyone clerking to do this regardless because you don't want to be my friend, who is about 50 lbs and 5 inches smaller than me, who had to borrow my coat unexpectedly for an ex parte meeting.

[Stupendous_Man]

I externed in the 9th Cir and currently clerk in district court. In both instances, everyone wore full suit and tie. In chambers, I take off my jacket, loosen my tie (and even take off my shoes) and no one cares, but outside of chambers everyone in the building pretty much wears a full suit. Women seem to do the business casual thing. We take full advantage of casual Fridays.